A hidden gem of a music venue in the heart of Bristol, St Georges’s played host to two of the UK’s finest artists whom have had a career that has spanned over decades.

Despite their biggest hits being back in the 90’s and 70’s, Judie Tzuke and Beverley Craven’s fan base is still incredibly big, beautifully loyal, and very solid! Their music as a whole is timeless so whilst they may not be chart toppers anymore, their music will always be relevant.

The atmosphere throughout their set was passionate and emotional from a full crowd of fans of whom many had likely waited years for this opportunity.

What made this joint tour from Craven and Tzuke even more special was the addition of the Gabriella Swallow String Quartet. Suitably titled the ‘Strings Attached’ tour, this quartet made what were already stunning songs, even more sensational and magical! In fact, magical is a great word to describe the entire evening, spellbinding would be another.

Craven and Tzuke aren’t just loveable for their music and voices but for their on-stage personalities as well. It’s clear that what you see is what you get! These lovely ladies are genuine and humble and talk to their audience as if they were old friends. Craven brings the dry humour and Tzuke the sweet and adorable somewhat goofiness that’s all incredibly relatable and puts you at ease.

Both artists on stage together with Chaz, Tzuke’s guitarist and the Gabriella Swallow String Quartet visually placed behind, Craven began the set sat behind the piano. Informing the crowd of the song she was about to start, Beverley explains that it is a song about “somebody who broke my heart. Actually he smashed it! He was an aspiring actor…” she goes on to say she has googled him since and was delighted nothing came up! (Implying failed actor!) “This song is called Love Scenes but tonight we are going to call it…” and an audience member shouts “you b****rd” to which she replies “yes! You complete b****rd”.

Love Scenes, despite its painful lyrics is a beautiful and much loved song from Craven’s second album of the same title. Flawlessly performed and more theatrical with the quartet, hearing the story behind it made it more emotional and relatable to many I am sure!

Judie Tzuke sat centre stage on a stall and sits with her lyrics on a music stand which she is always very open about. In an interview we did with Judie recently she said “when I was younger I often used to forget bits of the lyrics. When I do forget bits of the lyrics, I forget the whole English language. It’s not like I can recover at all. After many years of being more scared of doing that than actually singing, my daughter said “just get a book mum. Just put the book there and then you’ve got all the lyrics so at least you can recover” which is what I have on stage because it made my life so my easier, even though I can’t read that well stage now because my eyesight is going a bit. I wore glasses the other night at a gig – first time ever, just magnifying glasses for that reason. It’s just a prompt in case I forget things – I can at least sing the line after whereas when I was younger, I’d forget that line and then forget the rest of the song and get in a right panic.”

Starting off with her track So Emotional, Tzuke wowed the crowd with her emotive and unique vocals which were escalated in the venue’s gorgeous acoustics.

Another song about the complete b****rd, Beverley sings the song Make You Mine from the Close to Home Album which as the lyrics say, is the last song she will write about him. It’s such a heartbreaking song which live, is even more gut wrenching with the breathtaking string quartet. The studio version of the song has strings attached but live, it was another level!

A firm favourite of Judie’s music is the song Ladies Night which she performed next. The song showcases Tzuke’s vocals wonderfully!

A highlight for us and it seemed many was later on in the first half of the set when Beverley performed one of her best songs from her career called Memories. A song written for her little sister, Craven explains that she was 21 when her sister was born. “She’s 39 now” explains Craven “No don’t do that” she says having the crowd in giggles! Memories is even more beautiful live and we can’t stress enough just how fabulous the string quartet were.

Judie talks of a song, a piano piece that Bette Midler’s Musical Director sent to her to write over but instead of giving it to Midler she kept it herself and wrote it about her father and thus London at Midnight was born.

Speaking of another sister coming to visit her after a painful break up, Beverley jokes how whilst sat there listening to her sister she thought “I wonder if I can make a song out of this?” And with that she sings Tick Tock!

Closing the first half of the set with Bring The Rain by Judie Tzuke, the audience are treated with a nice interval which was welcomed for us who needed a refill on drinks and to discuss the show so far! As the show had no support act, this was needed and I wish more headline acts would have an interval!

Returning to the stage and Beverley kicking things off again, she performs her song I Miss You! She jokes to the audience how she always thought she’d get sponsorship from kleenex as the song is so sad however she was sponsored by Tampax..for a short period!

“Well I’m going to do a song that’s not sad” laughs Judie. “It’s dedicated to a guitarist called Davey Graham”. Performing a beautiful more up beat tune this time without the strings and just Chaz on guitar and Craven on piano, the song The Ballad of Davey Graham was one of the highlights of the evening!

For Beverley, Mollie’s Song was next, a song she wrote for her first born daughter and a song which pisses off her other kids as they don’t have a song. “Well it’s like I tell my girls, there’s no one like your first” laughs Craven!

Based on the poem If by Rudyard Kipling, Tzuke treats us with a fantastic performance of a song with the same name!

Tzuke last month released a tremendous album titled Jude The Unsinkable. On that album is her lead single Keeper of The Sun which she performed next and the only track she played from the new album. Proving that her songwriting talents are showing no signs of slowing down, Keeper of The Sun, much like the rest of the album is another timeless track that could have been written across any decade of her career. Yes, it’s that good!

After Beverley playing a gorgeous rendition of Castles In The Cloud , Judie informs us it’s now time for her hit! Asking the crowd to please sing a long with her as it means so much to her, she, along with the audience perform an emotionally beautiful performance of Stay With Me Till Dawn. The crowd sounded beautiful in their collective voices and the vocals from Judie within the amazing acoustics from St George’s made the song completely awe inspiring. What a song to hear in such a special setting!

“Now it’s time for my hit” Craven says “ You may want to sing along but I’d rather you didn’t” the crowd laughing she continues “people tell me how this is their song but it isn’t is it? It’s mine. People also tell me how they have conceived their child to this song, I don’t want to know. Two out of three people make love to this song, I’d like to think the third person is watching”. Of course, the song she was referring to was her huge hit Promise Me. A track well suited to close the show and of course the song we were all waiting to hear. All these years later, the song is still so relevant!

A rapturous applause and a very well deserved standing ovation, the pair remained on stage for an encore of the song they released with Julia Fordham as part of their Woman to Woman tour! Chaz playing the part of third harmony, the emotive and moving song was sensational live and a really beautiful way to end what was such a special evening!

It’s such a rare opportunity to not just see these amazing women on tour together but even more rare to have something as special as a string quartet to accompany them and the Gabriella Swallow Quartet were everything and more! Their playing was just breathtakingly beautiful. Much of the string arrangements were written by Craven herself including the arrangement for Judie’s new song Keeper of The Sun!

A magical night full of phenomenal live music, flawless vocals, stunning acoustics, hilarious moments and a wonderful audience – this show was mesmerisingly brilliant and is one I will remember for a long time. Craven and Judie are simply divine in a live setting. It felt like only yesterday I was ten years old blasting out Beverley’s debut album from my bedroom!

Whilst it’s Beverley’s last tour, I am just so incredibly happy that I got to see her live in my lifetime. It meant more than she will ever know and I am certain that many others felt the same way! A new fan of Tzuke, I will be following her career closely from now on! In fact, Tzuke has announced a solo tour next year! With dates to be announced soon, she has a handful of dates in the spring already announced.

March 2024
26 Barnoldswick – Music Centre – https://tinyurl.com/ye36a5s3
27 Barnoldswick – Music Center – SOLD OUT
28 Nantwich – Civic Hall (with Sad Cafe) https://shorturl.at/cruXZ

April
03 Henley – The Crooked Billet – https://shorturl.at/fACQ8